KOHAT: Two children were killed while as many sustained serious pellet and shrapnel injuries when a hand grenade they were playing with exploded with a bang in Sheikhan area here.

An official of the Saddar police station told Dawn on Friday that the children were playing with a hand grenade in an empty plot when it exploded. Nadeem Shah of Mohallah Murtazakhel reported to the police that Suleman, 11, and Mohammad Qasim, 12, died on the spot.

Two brothers, Uzaifa, 12, and Maaz, 7, received serious pellet injuries.

The police reached the scene and called the Rescue 1122 ambulance, which shifted the deceased and the injured to the KDA Hospital.

Regional Police Officer Abbas Majeed Marwat and district police officer Dr Zahidullah Khan visited the scene, and ordered an inquiry into how the hand grenade was found in the area.

Meanwhile, mutilated body of an Afghan refugee, missing for last several days, was found in the mountains of Junglekhel area on Friday.

The police said Tariq, father of the deceased, Vaqar, a resident of Camp No 3, reported to the police that his son had gone out with friends but did not come back. “We contacted relatives and Vaqar’s friends, who said they had also not seen him for days.”

The police registered a case against the unknown people and started an investigation.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2025